Penrhyn Church in Wales Voluntary Controlled School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Staff actively seek expertise from the local community to further support and enhance the curriculum. For example, older pupils interview a local resident about the changes that have occurred in the area over time, and others support pupils to plant, grow, and sell vegetables as part of their 'dig for victory' work. Teachers incorporate pupils' ideas and experiences of Welsh culture into school life successfully.

For instance, older pupils build air raid shelters and create their own version of Dylan Thomas's writing shed in the school grounds. These experiences enrich the curriculum and successfully create an excitement and purpose for pupils' learning. Leaders and staff provide valuable learning opportunities through 'Enrichment ...Friday', where pupils choose from a wide range of activities to enhance their classroom work.

A particular favourite of pupils is the 'Taff tours', where staff take pupils out into the local community and further afield. For example, pupils have visited local forts and army camps as part of their Second World War topic and visited local ferry ports and airports as part of a topic on travel. The school has improved its provision for teaching the Welsh language, and teachers are beginning to provide regular opportunities for pupils to practise their language skills throughout the day.

In the youngest classes, staff effectively model the Welsh language and pupils respond well. They use basic vocabulary accurately as part of their learning activities. For example, they count independently and without prompting in Welsh when measuring their dinosaurs.

As they progress through the school, staff introduce pupils to more varied language patterns, for example, to use simple greetings or to describe where they live. While most pupils develop an increasing enthusiasm for the Welsh language, older pupils struggle to ask or respond to an appropriate level of questioning, extend their answers, or use a wide enough range of language patterns confidently. © Crown Copyright 2024: This report may be re-used free of charge in any format or medium provided that it is re-used accurately and not used in a misleading context.

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